SNAP SHOTS ON THE MILITARY CAREER OF MAJOR GENERAL ASHTON - With the current technological developments, knowledge is no longer a preserve of ...
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SNAP SHOTS ON THE MILITARY
CAREER OF MAJOR GENERAL ASHTON
MLINDENI SIBANGO, CT, SM, psc, SA
Army St C, ensp, PDM-S, MM
With the current technological developments,
knowledge is no longer a preserve of academics,
but whoever bothers researching and readingMajor General Ashton Mlindeni Sibango was born on 20 January and bred from 1960 at the rural
Mahlamvu Village of Mqanduli in Eastern Cape from where he was educated and proceeded to
complete his matric in 1980 at Holomisa High School. He is the first born of Nkosana Jongikhaya
and Nkosazana Siziwe and a descendent of Nkosana Zwelakhe of Nkosi Sibango of Nkosi Diko of
Nkosi Ngaleka.
He, then, joined the defunct Transkei Defence Force on 20 January 1981 and on completion of his
recruitment military training he served as a President and Ceremonial Guard until he was selected
for officer cadet training in 1983. In 1984 he was commissioned as an officer and equally
appointed as a Platoon Commander at 1st Transkei Battalion. He, subsequently, rose through the
ranks with requisite career development training coupled with necessary experience in the field of
command until his pinnacle appointment as Officer Commanding 1st Mounted Infantry Battalion in
1992 as a Lieutenant Colonel. On attainment of operational and strategic level courses, Major
General Sibango was admitted into Generalship from 2009.
Highlighting his military course qualifications at tactical, operational and strategic levels include,
but not limited to graduating at Transkei School of Infantry (1989), Chinese Junior Staff College
(1990), South African Naval Staff College (1992),Ghana Armed Forces Staff College (1995),
South African Army Staff College (1997), South African Defence Intelligence College (1998),
South African National Defence College (2004), Swedish Defence College (2007) and George C
Marshal/European Centre for Strategic Security Studies (Germany 2010), respectively.
Academically, he acquired a few certificates at tertiary level, including Public Administration from
Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) in 1995, Postgraduate
Diploma in 2008 and Master of Management in 2010. Subsequently, he was registered as an
External Examiner and a Marker for post graduate studies at University of Witwatersrand from
2011 to date. He also obtained certificates in Social Science Theory Studies (Master Level) in
2012, English Academic Language in 2013 and International Development: Bridging the World of
Theory, Policy and Practice in 2013, respectively, from Wits School of Public and Development
Management.
Military and Security Qualifications include the following:
• Qualified in Basic Military Training Course in 1980 at Transkei Defence Force School of
Infantry.
• Qualified in Officer Cadet Training Course during the course of 1983/4 training
calendar year at Transkei Defence Force School of Infantry.
• Obtained a Commissioning Certificate as an Officer in April 1984.
• Qualified in Platoon Commander’s Course in 1986 at Transkei Defence Force School of
Infantry.
• A Certificate in Basic Parachute Jumping Course at 44 Parachute Training Centre in
1987 in Bloemfontein.
• Qualified in Company Commander’s Course in 1989 at Transkei Defence Force School
of Infantry.
• A Graduate of the Republic of China Army Infantry School and conferred a Diploma in
Infantry Officer A A E Course (Junior Staff Course) in 1990 in Taiwan.• A Certificate in Junior Staff and Warfare Course at South African Naval Staff College in
1993.
• A Graduate of Military Science at Ghana Armed Forces Staff College and conferred
Military Practitioner ship with a post nominal title “psc” in 1995.
• A Certificate in Joint Operations Training at Operational Level of War at SA Army
College in 1997 and equally awarded post nominal title “SA Army St C”.
• A Certificate in Defence Diplomacy in 1998 at South African Military Intelligence
College.
• Acquired a Certificate in Executive National Security Programme at South African
National Defence College in 2004 with post nominal title “ensp”.
• A Certificate in Free Fall (Sky Diving) Course at 44 Parachute Regiment in 2006.
• A Certificate in International Crisis Management from Swedish Defence College in 2007.
• A Graduate of George C. Marshall European Centre for Strategic Security Studies in
Munich, Germany, in 2010.
• A Certificate in Senior Workshop on International Rules Governing Military
Operations in 2013 from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the
Colombian Armed Forces in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia.
Highlights of his various Military Postings would include the following:
• Mustered and served as the Presidential and Ceremonial Guard from 1981 to 1983 at the
then 1st Transkei Battalion (now 14 South African Infantry Unit).
• Appointed as the Platoon Commander from 1984 to 1986 at 1st Transkei Battalion.
• Appointed as the Company Second-in-Command from 1986 to 1987 1st Transkei
Battalion.
• Appointed and served as the Company Commander from 1987 to 1990 at 1st Transkei
Battalion.
• Commissioned also as the Military District Administrator in Butterworth from 1988 to
1990 under Military Council in Transkei Military Administration.
• Commissioned to command and control a Contingent Force that conducted an
operation to flush out rebel leader, late Colonel Craig Duli, and his cohorts from the Office
of the Chairman of the Military Council during the attempted military coup of Military
Administration in Mthatha in November 1990.
• Appointed as the Unit Second-in-Command at 1st Transkei Maintenance Unit from 1990 to
1991.
• Appointed as the Battalion Second-in-Command at 1st Transkei Mounted Battalion from
1991 to 1992.• Appointed and Commissioned as the Officer Commanding of 1 Transkei Mounted
Battalion from 1992 to 1994.
• Commissioned as the Transkei Contingent Force Commander to the National
Peacekeeping Force (NPKF) and in the NPKF appointed as Officer Commanding 3rd
NPKF Battalion from February to June 1994, which operated in the then volatile situation
of Katlehong and Voslorus in East Rand, respectively, in the then PWV Province and now
Gauteng Province.
• Appointed as the Project Officer to facilitate training of both defunct UMkhonto
weSizwe (MK) and Azania Peoples Liberation Army (APLA), the Military Wings of
African National Congress (ANC) and Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), respectively, from
1990 to 1994 whilst serving in the Transkei Defence Force.
• Commissioned as the Military Advisor to the South African High Commissioner in
Malaysia from November 1998 to November 2001 and also equally accredited as the
Defence Advisor to the South African Ambassador in the Republic of Indonesia over
the same period.
• Appointed as the Senior Staff Officer Force Preparation (Education, Training and
Development) at the South African Army Headquarters from 2002 to 2006.
• Commissioned as the RSA Contingent Force Commander to the United Nations
Peace Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) from 2002 to 2003.
• Appointed as the Deputy Chief Advisor to the Structure for Military Integration and
Training (SMI) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and also served as the
Chief Advisor Planning Cell to the same structure in 2005 (OPERATION TEUTONIC).
• Appointed as the Senior Staff Officer Landward Operations at Joint Operations Division
from 2006 to 2009.
• Commissioned as the Mission Commander for the delivery of the ballot papers in the
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for the first round of the first democratic elections
after four decades of autocratic rule in the country (Operation SOLITAIRE I) in June/July
2006.
• Appointed as the Deputy Chief Coordinator for the RSA Election Observer Team for the
first elections in the DRC from August to October 2006.
• Commissioned as the Leader of the South African National Defence Force Delegation
on Southern African Development Community (SADC) Military Assessment of Peace
and Security situation and served as the Chief Operations Planner of SADC Team in the
eastern Democratic Republic of Congo from November to December 2008 with the view to
developing military options aimed at dealing with Rwandese military threat to the Eastern
DRC.
• Appointed as the Director Joint Operations at Joint Operations Division from 2009 to
2014.
• Appointed as the Chief of Staff Joint Training Command (within the environment of
Education, Training and Development) at Human Resources Division from 2014 to 2016.• Appointed as the Director Physical Training, Sport and Recreation at Human Resources
Division from 2016 to 2017.
• Appointed as the Chief of Staff Joint Operations Division from 2017 to 2020.
Major General A.M. Sibango was instrumental in the development of the African Union Peace and
Security architecture until the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Standby Force
was successfully launched in Lusaka, Zambia, in 2007. Developed and presented the concept of
RSA Military Approach to the African Capacity for Immediate Response to Crisis (ACIRC) during
its inception in January 2014. He was practically involved in bilateral and multinational Peace
Capacity Building initiatives in the Union of Comoros in 2007, in the Democratic Republic of Congo
during the following years: 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2006 and in the Central African Republic during
the following years 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013, respectively. In this respect, he was exposed into
a myriad of international forums as a delegate and leader of the RSA Delegations, respectively,
where he advanced the national interests of South Africa.
As a Delegate:
• At the Extra-Ordinary Meeting of the Operations Sub Sub Committee and Permanent
Coordination Committee of Southern African Development Community (SADC) in Dar-es-
Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania from 1-2 March 2007 to consider the Strategic
Indicative Plan of the Organ (SIPO) with the view to evaluating progress made and
mapping out the way forward.
• At the Meeting of the Operations Sub Sub Committee and Permanent Coordination
Committee in Dar-es-Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania from 23 April –3 May 2007 to
harmonise the legal instrument for the establishment of the SADC Brigade that involves
Military, Police and the Civilian components, respectively.
• A Military Representative of the South African Delegation for reasons of Peace Capacity
Building in the Union of Comoros from 4 to 8 May 2007.
• At the 28th Meeting of the Inter-State Defence and Security Committee in Dar-es-Salaam,
United Republic of Tanzania from 9-12 July 2007 to consider operationalisation and the
launch of the SADC Brigade.
• At the African Union Workshop on the Development of Rapid Deployment Capability of the
African Standby Force from 23-27 July 2007 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
• At the African Union Experts Meeting on the Establishment of the African Standby Force
and the Military Staff Committee and 2nd Ordinary Meeting of the Ministers of Defence and
State Security from 24-28 March 2008 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
• At the Session of the Operations Sub Sub Committee (OSSC) and 18 th Meeting of the
Defence Sub Committee of the Interstate Defence and Security Committee from 12 to 14
May 2010 in Maputo, Republic of Mozambique.
• At United Nations Peace Support Operations Workshop on issues of Combat Readiness,
Deterrence and Use of Force in Peace Missions in July 2010 at Jaji Peace Support
Mission Centre, Kaduna State, Nigeria.
• At the Meeting of the African Chiefs of Defence in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 1 to 8
December 2010.• At the Session of the Operations Sub Sub Committee (OSSC) and 19 th Meeting of the
Defence Sub Committee of the Interstate Defence and Security Committee from 11 to 13
May 2011 in Lusaka, Republic of Zambia.
• At the 13th Meeting of the Ministerial Committee of the Organ (MCO) on Politics, Defence
and Security Cooperation in Lusaka, the Republic of Zambia from 17 to 21 June 2011.
• At the 14th Special Meeting of the Ministerial Committee of the Organ (MCO) on Politics,
Defence and Security Cooperation in Luanda, the Republic of Angola in August 2011.
• At the Meeting of the African Chiefs of Defence Forces in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in
September 2011.
• At African Union Conference to discuss and analyse the security developments in the
Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 27 to 29 December
2012.
• At Senior Workshop on International Rules Governing Military Operations (SWIRMO) from
6 to 12 October 2013 in Colombia.
• At AU Work Session for the Development of African Capacity for Immediate Response to
Crisis (ACIRC) in Addis Ababa from 18 to 22 November 2013.
• At the African Chiefs of Defence Forces Meeting on the development of the modalities for
ACIRC in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 9 to 15 January 2014.
• At the South African Border Management Authority Study Tour to Canada Border Service
Agency in Ottawa, Canada, from 2 to 13 June 2019.
As the Head/Leader of the Delegation:
• Head of Military Delegation in Comoros for reasons of peace and security capacity
building from 4-8 May and 13-17 July 2007, respectively.
• Head of the South African Defence Force and the Republic of South Africa Delegation on
a Southern African Development Community (SADC) Peace Mission in the Eastern
Democratic Republic of Congo to plan military conventional options to mitigating the
security situation in the Great Lakes Region from 19 November to 8 December 2008.
• A Leader of Ministry of Defence and Military Veterans Delegation in Botswana in a SADC
Workshop for a Strategic Indicative Plan of the SADC Organ in 2010.
• A Leader of South African Delegation at the Contingent Own Equipment (COE) Workshop
at the United Nations Head Office, New York, United States of America from 17 to 28
January 2011.
• Head of the South African Delegation and became Chairperson of the SADC Troika aimed
at developing SADC Standby Force Rapid Deployment Capability Workshop in Gaborone,
Botswana from 10 to 4 April 2012.
• A leader of the South African Assessment Team for security development in Bangui, the
Central African Republic, from 21 to 24 January 2013.• Head of the Mission at the Military International Sport Competition (SICM) for Golf in the
Kingdom of Bahrain in October 2014.
• Deputy Head of the Mission at the International Military Sports Council (CISM) for all
sporting codes in Mungyeong City in South Korea from 29 September to 13 October 2015.
• Head of the South African Delegation and a Representative at CISM Congress and
General Assembly in Tartu, Estonia, from 26 April to 1 May 2016.
• Head of the Observer and Fact Finding Mission at the Russian Military Games in Moscow,
Russia, from 29 July to 13 August 2016.
• Head of the Delegation on the 33rd Regional General Assembly of CISM-Eastern and
Southern Africa Liaison Office (ESALO) in Luanda, Angola, from 27 November to 3
December 2016.
• Head of the South African Delegation on the 5th Organisation of Military Sports in Africa
(OSMA) General Assembly held in Asmara, Eritrea, from 8th to 16th March 2017.
• Head of the South African Delegation and a Representative at CISM Congress and
General Assembly in Greece in 2017.
• Head of Military Delegation on the Defence Commission and Diplomacy to the United
Kingdom from 13 to 18 November 2017.
• Head of the Military Delegation on the Defence Commission and Diplomacy to New Delhi,
India, from 3 to 9 December 2017.
During his military life, Major General A.M. Sibango would pride himself for having been
operationally active and successful in quelling apartheid sponsored military coup of the then
Transkei Military Administration led by the renegade rebel leader in 1990. He was instrumental in
the training of former MK and APLA, and for the former, would include material support from 1990
to 1994. As Director Joint Operations from 2009 to 2014, he directed RSA Contingent Forces
against French and Chad sponsored SELEKA rebels in Central African Republic in 2013, directed
RSA forces which created relative peace and stability in the eastern Democratic Republic of
Congo and substantially reduced piracy activities in Mozambique coast line through Maritime
Operation COPPER from its inception.
Involvement in diplomatic front would include such missions as in Malaysia and Indonesia as an
accredited Military Attaché and Defence Advisor, respectively, from 1998 to 2001. Actively
involved in Defence Diplomatic peace and security initiatives in the Union of Comoros, Democratic
Republic of Congo and Central African Republic, including Defence and Military Diplomacy in
Namibia, Russia, India, United Kingdom; Southern African Development Community in Gaborone,
Botswana; African Union, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and United Nations in New York, United States
of America.
In social life, Major General A.M. Sibango contributed nationally towards social development as
the Chairman of the then Transkei Defence Force Sports Committee from 1990 to 1994,
Chairperson of SA Army Golf Committee from 2006 to 2008 and became a Patron of SANDF Golf
from 2012 to 2020 and developed the annual women golf during August in the Department of
Defence and Military Veterans. As Director Physical Training, Sport and Recreation in 2016 and
2017, he facilitated the development of National Sports Training Centres of Excellence (without
any breakthrough) within the military establishment together with the Department of National Sportand Recreation that would be underpinned by a Memorandum of Agreement and Cooperation. He
is the co-founder and remains a member of Dinaledi Golf Society from 2003.
Internationally, he was the Director of Social and Sport of the Military Attaché Corp in Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia from 2000-2001, ESALO candidate elect and nominee for the Deputy President
of African Military Sport Organisation (OSMA) and was eventually elected and became Deputy
President of OSMA from 2017 to 2018. He was the Head of the RSA Delegation in International
Military Sport Competition (CISM) for golf in Bahrain in 2014, in CISM Conference in Estonia in
2016, in CISM/ESALO Conference in Angola in 2016, in CISM/OSMA Conference in Eritrea in
2017, in CISM Conference in Greece in 2017, and the Deputy Head of Delegation for multi
discipline and sporting codes during the International Military Competition (CISM) in South Korea
in 2015.
He is decorated, notably, with the following medals and awards:
Medals. Ten Years’ Service Medal, Meritorious Commander Class Medal, Military Rule Medal,
Unitas Medal, United Nations Peace Medal, General Service Medal, Twenty Years’ Service Medal,
Tshumelo iKatelaho Medal (Peace Support), Mandela Silver Medal and Thirty Years’ Service
Medal.
Merit Awards
• A Certificate Award from the Malaysian Defence Force in appreciation of having tirelessly
contributed in fostering close relationship between the Military Forces of both Malaysia
and South Africa while being a member of the Military Attaché Corps Malaysia from 23
November 1998 to 30 November 2001.
• A Commendation Certificate in recognition of praiseworthiness and devoted service to the
South African Army Training Formation in 2004.
• A Commendation Certificate for Meritorious Service rendered during secondment to the
Structure for Military Integration (SMI) in the DRC under OPERATION TEUTONIC in 2005.
• A Commendation Certificate in recognition of services rendered which led to the image of
the South African National Defence Force and in particular, that of Chief of Joint
Operations Division, being enhanced in 2008.
• A Certificate Award in Appreciation and Recognition of Meritorious Service to the Society,
effectively at the University of the Witwatersrand by Golden Key International Honour
Society in 2011.
• Awarded the South African National Defence Force Sports Colours in 2011.
• A Diploma Award in appreciation of having participated in the management of the 6th
Military Sport International Competition (CISM) World Games in Mungyeong, South Korea
from 2 to 11 October 2015.
Professional and Academic Membership
• Member of the former Transkei Defence Force Parachutists and Airborne Forces from
August 1987 to April 1994.
• A Member of the South African National Defence Force Parachutists and Airborne Forces
from April 1994.• A Member of South African Army Officer Staff Corps from 24 October 1997.
• A Member of the South African National Defence Force Sky Divers or Free Fallers from
2006 to date.
• Admitted to Generalship in the South African National Defence Force from 1 August 2009.
• A Member of Wits Alumni from 24 June 2009.
• A Member of George C. Marshall European Centre for Security Studies Alumni from
September 2010, Munich, Germany.
• Admitted as a Member of the Convocation at the Wits University from 23 November 2010.
• Acquired Membership with Golden Key International Honour Society from May 2011.
• An External Examiner and Marker for Postgraduate Diploma or Honours level at Wits
School of Public and Development Management from 2011 to date.
• A Member of Board of Directors for South African Military Institute from 2019 to date
He had written a few documents both for academic and military consumption (unpublished) that
speak to the following issues:
• The Challenges of Integration Process in the new South African National Defence Force
(May 1996).
• Conceptual Strategic Approach to further Forms of Assistance and Engagement in the
Democratic Republic of Congo Security Sector Reform (SSR) (September 2006).
• Effects of Party-Political Membership and Trade Union Activism on South African National
Defence Force (March 2010).
• RSA Conceptual Approach (with modalities) to the establishment of African Capacity for
Immediate Response to Crisis (ACIRC 2013).
• Strategic Approach to Trilateral Engagement and Assistance to the Democratic Republic
of Congo, an agreement concluded among Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo and
South Africa (January 2014).
• Approach to Battlefield Fitness in the South African National Defence Force (2016) (A
living SANDF Strategic Guiding Concept).
• The Compulsory Nature of the Physical Training, Sport and Recreation in the South
African National Defence Force (2016) (A living SANDF Policy Document).
• Healthy Lifestyle in the South African National Defence Force (2017) (A living SANDF
Policy Document).
• Emerging Forms of Elitism in the South African National Defence Force: A Serious Cause
for Concern (2017).
• The Centrality of the Uniform and Uniformity as a symbol of professional nature of the
South African Army (2018).• Research work on “Examining the South African Armed Revolutionary Theories and
Strategies for Possible Inclusion in the military syllabus and serve as basis for
Contemporary Counterinsurgency in Africa” (2013 still ongoing).
• Published Articles:
o TDF will be Instrumental in the Changing Republic of South Africa”, Daily
Dispatch, February 1992.
o Peace Capacity Building in the Making: Realizing an African Dream, South African
SOLDIER Magazine, VOL 12 NO 10 October 2005.
He has considerably travelled worldwide, including nine Asian, nine European, two Middle East,
four American and twenty two African countries, respectively, during his military service.
The Eagle has eventually landed to retire after a military marathon to be finished by the young and
energetic.
“Yiyekeni Inkwenkwe Izonwabele”
By S.E.K. Mqhayi
Isizwe samaHegebe, ka Nkosi Mdunyelwa, ka Nkosi Mtengwane, ka Nkosi Ngaleka, ka
Nkosi Holomisa, ka Nkosi Diko, ka Nkosi Ndilele (Makhulu), ka Nkosi Namba (Makhulu),
ka Nkosi Sibango, ka Nkosi Nazo, ka Nkosi Phangidlela, ka Nkosi Ngwityi, ka Nkosi
Mduduma njengezulu, ka Nkosi Ngqanga, ka Nkosi Hagile, ka Nkosi Plam, ka Nkosi
Machwi, ka Bazindlovu, ka Nkosi Bangithafa, ka Nkosi Dalibaso, ka Nkosi Zanengqele,
ka Nkosi Zweliphalele, ka Nkosi Gangathele, ka Nkosi Ngxekese, ka Nkosi
MasikweSixhosa, ka Nkosi Mdaka, ka Nkosi Nyongo, ka Nkosi Mpangele, ka Nkosi
Zanoxolo, ka Nkosi Zwelendaba, ka Nkosi Zwelakhe, ka Nkosi Jongilanga, ka Nkosi
Dalingoma, ka Nkosi Bhekizulu, ka Nkosi Zwelixolile, ka Nkosi Khanyisile, ka Nkosi
Jongikhaya, ka Nkosi Zwelijikile, ka Nkosi Zilingwenya.
Uthi umzi ka Ngobe, ka Mbasane, ka Mkhasela, ka Salakuphathwa, ka
Mqolwawukhukhuzwa, kaMasikwesiXhosa, kaMvubawufudunyezwa, Mathole anyongande
kukudlelana, sibamba ngazibini MaAfrika neLizwe liphela.You can also read
